Martin Chemnitz

Martin Chemnitz ( born November 9, 1522 Treuenbrietzen, † April 8, 1586 in Braunschweig ) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer.

Life and work

Born the son of clothier Paul Chemnitz ( † 1533), Chemnitz attended school in Treuenbrietzen, 1536 in Wittenberg and in 1539 in Magdeburg. In 1542, he became a teacher at the school in calbe. In 1543 he began to study at the University of Frankfurt ( Oder) on, changed after he had been a teacher in Wriezen, 1545 at the University of Wittenberg, where he worked on the advice of Philipp Melanchthon with mathematics and astrology.

Alongside he heard at the theological faculty self-taught lectures by Martin Luther. Melanchthon urged him in 1547 to follow the example of his cousin Georg Sabinus and to go to Königsberg in Prussia. There Chemnitz was first director of the school in Kneiphof and has established itself as one of the first purchase in 1548 at the newly founded University of Königsberg academic master's degree of artistic skills.

Initially he worked thereafter as horoscope writer and calendar maker, before he received at Albert I of Brandenburg -Ansbach on April 5, 1550 a position as a librarian at the court. This made it possible for him to devote himself more a theological study. However, as promoted by Melanchthon offspring he got problems with Andreas Osiander, and was drawn into the dispute Osiandrian. That's why he went in April 1553 returned to Wittenberg, where he soon was in the inner circle of disciples of Melanchthon and became a member of the Faculty of Arts on January 15. As such, he lectured on the Loci communes of Melanchthon.

At the invitation of the Brunswick Superintendent Joachim Mörlin, who was a friend of the Königsberg time, he went from 6 to August 12, 1554 Brunswick, where Mörlin it submitted a proposal, as his deputy to assume the office of Coadjutor. Johannes Bugenhagen ordained him on November 25, December 12, he was introduced to the office and came to this on December 15. In Braunschweig from Mörlin influenced Chemnitz moved increasingly a detached attitude to Melanchthon.

When the Lower Saxon cities tried in January 1557 Melanchthon to persuade them to support the Thuringian Gnesio-Lutherans and Chemnitz for the settlement of disputes adiaphoristischen in Wittenberg entered it, he was disappointed by Melanchthon's rejection, so that the relationship with Melanchthon suffered a fracture.

After Chemnitz had participated in the 1557 Worms Union Colloquium with the Catholics, his reputation grew. He got involved in the debate about the doctrine of the Eucharist, as Albert Hardenberg was dismissed for his alleged Calvinistic attitude. 1561 he wrote to his repetitio in which for the first time his tripartite division of the communication of attributes has been published. 1565 Chemnitz wrote the exam decretorum Concilii Tridentine in which he critically analyzes the Tridentine Council resolutions.

1564, he came together on the Maulbronner colloquium with Johannes Brenz, with which he tried to reconcile the different teaching styles of the Wittenberg theologians with the Tübingen theologians. He also participated with Mörlin to the settlement of the dispute Osiandrian 1567. Mörlin As Sambia went by, now took Chemnitz on October 15, 1567 in its place made ​​vacant as superintendent of Brunswick. To meet the conditions of the Brunswick church order, he received his doctorate in 1568 for the Doctor of Theology at the University of Rostock.

On July 28, 1568 Chemnitz was appointed by Duke Julius of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel, introduce the Reformation in his duchy. The Court noted, by 1568 visitations in the Duchy and developed in 1569 the church order. For his efforts he could initially Jacob Andreae and 1570 Nicholas Selnecker win. In 1576 he wrote the Corpus doctrinae Julium was involved in the founding of the University of Helmstedt and worked on the drafting of the Formula of Concord.

In 1578 it came with Duke Julius to break when this ordain tonsured let his two younger sons, according to the Catholic rite and let consecrate his eldest son Julius according to Roman law as Bishop of Halberstadt and introduce. Julius withdrew from Konkordienwerk and gave the mild Lutheranism in his duchy so free space, which is now easily oriented to Philippine matic trains. Against these disagreements protested Chemnitz and was able to get them to sign the Book of Concord on February 6, 1580 his father of his country yet. Chemnitz resigned on August 9, 1584 low and sickly until his death 1586th He was buried in the Martini Church in Brunswick.

Family

Chemnitz in 1555 married Anna, the daughter of the lawyer Hermann hunters. From this marriage three sons and seven daughters were born. Is known:

  • Martin Chemnitz I († young)
  • Martin Chemnitz (* October 15, 1561 in Braunschweig, † August 26 1626 in Schleswig ) Council and Chancellor of Duke Friedrich of Schleswig -Holstein
  • Paul Chemnitz canon of the collegiate church of St. Blasius in Braunschweig
  • Anna Chemnitz I († young)
  • Margaretha Chemnitz ( † in adolescence )
  • Hedwig Chemnitz ( † in adolescence )
  • Magdalena Chemnitz, married. with Jordan Straube (Mayor in Braunschweig)
  • Anna Chemnitz II, married. with Jacob Gottfried (Pastor of St. Mary in Braunschweig)
  • Eva Chemnitz, married. with Franz Haussmann ( princely Brunswick Council )
  • Julia Chemnitz behaves. Bernhard Bung Ensted lawyer

Works

  • Repetitio sanae doctrinae de vera praesentia corporis et sanguinis Domini in coena. Leipzig 1561, German translation 1561 J. Zanger.
  • Examination decretorum Concilii Tridentine. Frankfurt / Main, 1566-73, German and French translation HERG. Eduard Preuss 1861, Darmstadt, Germany in 1972, German by R. Bendixen and E. Ch Luthardt, 1884.
  • De duabus naturis in Christ, de stasis earum unione, de communicationÉ idiomatium ... Jena 1570th
  • Theologiae Jesuitarium praecipura capita. Cologne and Leipzig 1562nd
  • Loci theologici. edited by Polycarp Leyser the Elder, Frankfurt / Main 1591st
  • Polycarp Leyser the Elder ( ed.): Harmonia evangelica. (Unfinished Edition) Frankfurt / Main in 1593 and Johann Gerhard Geneva 1641.
  • Postilla or Außlegung of the Gospels. Frankfurt / Main 1593rd

Anniversaries

  • Evangelical Church in Germany: April 8, in the name Evangelical Calendar
  • Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod: November 9
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